Evening Star Newspaper, January 6, 1932, Page 8

THE EVENING STAR With Sunday Morning Edition. WASBHINGTON, D. C. WEDNESDAY...January 6, 1932 THEODORE W. NOYES. .. .Editor The Evening Star Newspaper Company Business Office 1th St d Pennsylvania Ave. New York Office: 110 East 42nd 8t. Lake Michigan Building. 14 Regent ., London, uropean Office England. Rate by Carrier Within the City. e Evening Star........ 45c per month e Eveniug and Sunday Siar ndays) 60c per month 65c per month y Star ... 5c_per cop made at the end n Orders may be sent in by mail or telephons NAtional 5000. Rate by Mail—Payable in Advance. Moaryland and Virginia. $10.00: 1 mo., 8¢ i +*38.00: 1 mo. 30¢ inds 1300 3900 1 mo., doc All Other States and (»mada. . $12.00: 1 mo., s1.00 | »7$8.00: 1 mo., i8¢ {ly and Sunday.. J T $5.00 1 mo. 50c aily on nday only . wember of the Associated Press. Jysive)y entitl “ news s served. to thy patchis credited to it or not o fred in paper and glso No Substitute for Fixed Ratio. The genesis of the fiscal relations in quiry of 1915-16, described in detail ir today’s article on the history of fiscal | relations appearing elsewhere in these columns, was a series of attacks, prin-| cipally in the House, centered on the allegation that Washingtonians were evading fair and reasonable taxation Fortunately for the city, the inquiry was conducted by & joint committee, symbolic of the joint responsibilitygof | the two houses of Congress in govern- ing and appropriating for the Capital, composed of & majority of men inclined to view the problem without prejudice. The results of that inquiry showed that Washington was not undertaxed, as charged, but was bearing its full share of taxation as compared Wwith other cities and in relation to the total expenses of the Cajfal City. Senator Works, in recording his views, expressed the opinion that the citizens of Wash- ington “are being taxed too high.” And while th¢ committee concluded that the change in conditions since 1878 no longer demanded retention of the fixed ratio system of appropriation, “our unanimous conclusion is that the rate of taxation in the District should be fixed and certain; that the Congr7ms should pursue & definite policy of cgu- lar and liberal appropriations, aaving in view not only the permanent moral and physical advancement of the city, but also its pre-eminent beauty and grandeur as the municipal expression of the Nation’s home and its people's pride.” It was made clear that the commit- tee did not favor a reduction of the sum paid by the Nation under the fifty- fifty law. It did not favor an increase in the sum paid by the local communi- ty, which was found to be adequately and fully taxed. The only important thing about the policy of Capital sup- port found unnecessary by the commit- tee was the arbitrary fixed ratio law itself. The substitute was that same substitute so easily expressed in general | terms, so difficult to express in specific language—liberal appropriations by the Congress, fair and adequate taxation of the local community at a tax rate that is “fixed and certain.” But when the time came to change the law the only workable substitute was a reaffirmation of the pblicy of | tangible results tion of armed forces, the United States does have an opportunity st Geneva which is not to be ignored. That op- portunity is one of good offices, of friendly counsel, of disinterested co- operation, in the fleld of questions which keep Europe an armed camp. The American delegation is evidently proceeding to Geneva in the belief that the most effective help it can render is to persuade Europe to bury its vari- ous hatchets. These quarrels com- posed, or at any rate the most dan- gerous among them, like the Franco- German feud or the Polish-German Corridor controversy, ~reduction of armaments would at once be trans- ferred from the realm of the idealistic to the field of practicalit ———————— A Kitten Learns in Time. The kitten chasing the tip of its tail has & fellow-feeling for the proponents of the movement to reduce Federal salaries in order to cut the Treasury deficit and thereby hasten the end of the depression. It all seems so simple, | on the face of it. But the kitten soon learns that every | time he makes a leap for the tip of its tail, the tip of its tail has a way of leaping, too. So ‘¢t is with tMis theory that any toward reducing the Treasury deficit or hastening the end of the depression would follow a slash of Federal salaries. As a matter of =2 neither the Treasury deficit nor the end of the depression would be one whit nearer the improved condition desired The first slash of Government sal- aries would be a step cwaparable to the first leap of the kitten. Would we | be any nearer catching up With the Treasury deficit? What would happen after that first slash? Could anything be undertaken that would more surely mean the further undermining of confidence, not in the ranks of Government employes alone, but throughout the Nation? Could the Federal Government take any step more surely destined to bring about a wholesale reduction of wages? Can anybody conceive of a proposal that on its face is more certain to reduce stand- ards of living, increase hoarding, cut down spending, invite the catastrophe of involved labor disputes from which, happily, the Nation has been relatively | free during these dark days? Can any one conceive a single individual among the Nation's millions of wage earners | who, reading that the Government has | reduced salaries, would not say “Well, | one next!”? No corporation has the right to cut wages until it stops paying dividends and is forced to consider such & step as the possible alternative to bank- ruptcy. Is our Government bankrupt? Has it stopped paying the dividends of leadership, of insurance against dis- aster, that represent the fruit of our investments in money and experience of the last century and & half? Politiclans may say, “I shall go back home and tell my people that I have cut the fat salaries of the Govern- ment employes.” But statesmen, not politicians, must find out whether, granting the necessity of “catching up” with the Treasury deficit—or what amounts to the same thing, hastening the end of the depres- sion—it can be accomplished by cut- ting Federal salaries, that are not fat by far, and thereby setting the pace for a wholesale reduction of salaries throughout the United States. ‘The end of the depression means rencwal of confidence on the part of the vast army of workers who are willing to spend what they make. It = means the renewal of confidence on the part of those who are willing to extend credit and of those who seek credit with which to continue or to launch enterprises promising employ- fixed ratio, with the ratio itself revised. There is no equitable or workable sub- stitute for the system of fixed ratio, still the unrepealed law of Congress. Once cast aside, as it has been since | 1825 by temporary, annual legislative | evasions, the tendency is to squeeze the last penny in taxation from the help- less partner and to use the size of the | resultant levy as an argument for the reduction of the Federal share. That is | what has happened under the lump sum. That is what is recommended by the Mapes report. That wav lies the ultimate elimination of any Federal contribution, with unjust and tyrannical | taxation of the unrepresented local| communit: The transition of these United States from powder horn to powder puff has been a fairly rapid one Our Role at Geneva. With the Washington of Ambassador Dawes will head the American deleg:tion the impending disarmame discussions hay un stimulating presence in | who | &t ne | between the | t confel ment. It means more spending and more money to spend. Is it not time that we stopped the consideration of expedients that, in the end, are nothing less than joining the kitten in the violent pursuit of the tip of its tail? —r—e—————— This constant turnover among the partners in the Big Bridge Ballyhoo is beginning to remind one of that popular dance figure called the “Paul Jones.” THE EVEN an investment of from twenty-six to twenty-eight billion dollars. No esti- mate is given of the portion of this Jatter valuation attributable to the high- ways themselves, which are owned by the States. It is impossible to allocate the capital value of the highway system to the commercial motor system using them, but it is falr to assume that the greater portion of this valuation of the highway transportation system and equipment is the public road equipment, which it uses practically without cost. Equity demands the regulation of carrier rates on both systems. The question cannot be longer neglected. The present plight of the railroads of the country requires that the unfair competition to Which they are now subjected be checked. “A breakdown in railroad transporta- tion from any cause whatever,” says the examiner in his report to the Interstate Commerce Commission, “will find re- percussions throughout the whole in- dustrial and financial structure of the country.. Railroads are to the soclal, economic and industrial life |of the Nation what the circulatory system is to the human body. Any serious vitiation will be reflected throughout the whole system.” Upon this basis the question of reg- ulating the highway competitors of the railroads becomes one of vital impor- tance to the national welfare. Cuno H. Rudolph. Cuno H. Rudolph, twice District Commissioner, long and actively identi- fied with the business and financial interests of Washington, and one of the Capital's most highly esteemed citizens, | has passed away in his seventy-second year. Though he was in failing health there was no public knowledge of grave affliction, and his death comes as & shock to the community. Mr. Rudolph was & native of Baltimore, coming to this city at the age of twenty-nine. He was highly successful in the busi- | ness enterprise with which he was con- nected and of which he eventually be- came the head. He became associated with one of the leading banks of the city, and as its president held a role of importance in the financial affairs of the Capital. In 1910 he was drafted for duty as a member of the Board of District Commissioners, and served a full term with distinction and render- ing valuable service to the community, devoting himself diligently to the duties of office and aiding in the advance- ment of the municipal services for the public benefit. Eight years after the expiration of that term he was reap- pointed in 1921 and in 1924 he was given & third appointment. He did not, however, complete that term, resigning in 1926, when the citizens of the District testified to their affectionate regard for him and his services by a public dinner. Since his retirement from office he continued his keen in- terest in the promotion of the District’s welfare, giving freely of his time and energies in various services. He was one of Washington's most useful cit- izens as well as enjoying the utmost confidence of the people of the Dis- trict. Though he had in recent months retired from all business and public activities, his death is a grievous loss to Washington e — President Hoover might try the scheme of persuading some of those outstanding around-the-corner peekers who, for the past eighteen months, have been announcing the end of the depres- sion, to declare that he is sure to be defeated for either renomination or re- election. PR The tremendous and confusing amount of departmental moving scheduled for the near future has given rise to the expression “Governmental chess board.” Well, any game is better than “Puss in & Corner.” ey To be laughed at is hard. To be sniffed at is tough. To be ignored is difficult to bear. But in his social intercourse the blood of the average son of Adam is most quickly brought to & boil by & lorgnette aimed his way. Sl i Oh, well, it 18 in the nature of things for Finns to be wet. o ———— Unfair Competition. After holding hearings in seventeen cities, during 1930 and 1931, an ex- sminer of the Interstate Commerce Commission has made an exhaustive report to the commission recommend- ing the Federal regulation of all motor vehicles operated for hire in interstate commerce, and also modification of the anti-trust laws to permit railroads to ucquire bus and truck lines already in President and of Geneva representatives who ere in this country—Dr. Mary Emma Woolley and | Mr. Norman H. Davis addition to | Gen. Dawes. Following their opening | conversations, occasion was taken 6t | the White House yesterday to indicate in broad outline what the role of the | United States at Geneva is to be. | It is well that Mr. Hoover thase now operation. The commission has set February 9 for the filing of briefs in reply and exceptions to the report. Oral arguments are to be heard during the first three days of March. The com- mission will then decide whether to recommend legislation, which pre- | sumably would be considered at the present session of Congress. Examiner Flynn describes the rail- | roads of this country as having passed this clearly and promptly, for there|syom g position of virtual monopoly to have al v-‘“‘ been plenty of indications | one of keen competition. He declares that professional peace advocates and | tnat if the present conditions continue other well meaning group: atiribute 10 | (he diversion of traffic from railroads this cc & power and a duty &)y grow and constant losses may so Geneva which are palpably beyond both | ceriously affect passenger travel as to its province and its capacity it impossible economically to cated admini: ry or operate adequate passenger train serv- begin emment 1 | e prospeciiv with questions re air ided in military is the Amcr s are adjusted b up to 1936, subject | u | | ven 50 that in the London tr the principal armaments which the United States is does not come within Geneva's scope This country has only academic con- cern with what Geneva may do about srmies, because our own Army is in- finitesimal, compared to the huge stand- g forcés maintained by many of the rations of Europe and Asia. Pigures supplied to the President reveal that the United States Army, even with its Teserves, Tepresents & Tatlo of one soldier to each 900 *of papulation. How sasignificant & land force this denotes will be grasped when it is realized that Germany, virtually disarmed by the Treaty of Versailles, counts one soldier to each 600 of the Reich's population. ‘While we have thus no specific mili- aty indi-| make interested | ice at present fares,and the loss of freight traffic will profitable the operation of cars and trains that now ate from the principal cities. Whenever substantial traffic is lost to | railroads their only recourse is to in- se the freight rates on the traffic aining. Thus all shippers have an erest in raillway investment, since charges must be suffictent to insure & fair return, This is & question of the utmost im- portance not only to the railroads but to the industries and business interests of the country. The motor competitors of the rail lines are in effect subsidized through having the free use of the highways which have been built at pub- lic expense, being subject only to vehicle and gasoline taxes, whereas the rail- roads, owning their own rights of way and rail lines and terminals, are sub- jected to heavy taxation. The book value investment in railroad equipment progressive make un- local mer- chandise cre SHOOTING STARS. BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. Super-Improvements. Inventors have kept busy Till the world is growing dizzy, As we view the vast improvements they have wrought. | A button or a lever Will relieve you of endeavor As you seek what may be nearest in your thought. All the wheels we have set spinning, Speed and comfort soon were winning, | And the world was like a fairyland 50 gay, Where in light fantastic measures We went dancing through the pleasures Made more strangely fascinating every day. The inventor’s brain kept moving And he went ahead improving Everything that mortal genius could devise. Far beneath the placid ocean 1t put submarines in motion, And it set the airships dashing through the skies. As we stand in awe and terror While some passing human error Causes man in every clime to hold his breath, We look on in consternation As we fear a situation Where improvements themselves to death. will improve ! Homeward Suggestions. “You must make your speech bring your ideas home Lo your constituents.” “Yes,” rejoined Senator Sorghum, “and if I'm not careful what I say, it'll bring me home along with them.” When & man gets what he wanted he's lucky if he doesn’t put in a lot of | time wondering what he wanted with it. Forever Unfamiliar. Though history itself repeats, As has been mentioned by the wise, Its tales of victories or defeats Still bring us sadness or surprise. No lelll'ble Formula. of the steam roads, not including switching and terminal roads, is placed at slightly over twenty-six billion dol- lars as of December 31, 1930. It has “I never put off till tomorrow what I can do tod: remarked the self-com- placent man. STAF INGTON THIS AND THAT D. O, WEDNESDAY, BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL. Taking a rainy day off to enjoy—) have you ever done it, honestly and without subterfuge? We do not mean pleading the excuse of a headache, or staying home to do a necessary chore, or any such reason, but simply taking time out to enjoy the rainy day. ‘There are probably many more peo- ple in a great city who can do this than is commonly realized, just as there are a large number who are able to g0 to work at 10 am. and to leave for home at 1 pm. on Saturdays. A real rainy day is becoming such & rarity in these parts that some enthu- siasts are coming to consider them al: most theatrical spectacles. They feel that a rainy day is worth looking at for its own sake, not only because it washes the air, cleans the city, helps growing things and disgusts small boys. ¥ % Some might be inclined to think that it would be possible to see all that there is to see in a rainy day while doing one’s regular duties. ‘That, however, would scarcely be fair to the day. It is not only what one may see which counts, but also what one does one’s self and what one thinks. Perhaps the best part of going to a theater is what the spectator brings to the performance. What the reader does to & book is often more than what the book does to him “The song is to the singer and comes back most to him,” said a curious Amer- ican poet. ook The rainy day, rightly viewed, is a show all by itself. It cannot be com- prehended by some one who is trying to do something else at the same time, whether the task be counting, or lis- tening to radio, or walking, or functioning in what is roughly called the daily routine. Most people have a routine, even those who do not have to have one. The human economy thrives on habit. Habits are the roads over which the living of human beings travels. Living travels, rather than life. Life is a thing apart, but the living of life goes by roads. Staying home to watch the rain will put an abrupt stop for the time being to these normal journeyings. Now, breaking up a habit suddenly is good for it! This action tends to keep a habit in its place. Many men, for instance, make such a god of, their work that they forget that there is anything else in life. he works best, without a doubt, who understands the other facets of every- day living, and neglects none of the That is why the busiest men nowada * ook % It one deliberately takes the day off to watch the rain, he will feel that he mus, see the show from every angle He will be helped in this by know. ing what sort of a rain to select, just as a theatergoer should know in ad- vance what the available shows are, like best. There are all sorts of rains, of course, in normally rainy seasons. Ordinarily the rain-goer, if he may be called that, would have a variety at hand. During the past two years, however. we have had to take our rainy days as they have come, and they have come few and far between. In Summer the usual sort of rain is the late afternoon thunderstorm, and of But | ut great stress on the value of play. | e s on e value of PIad | " rhere is almost always a look to the and then which one he thinks he would ' this variety Washington and vicinity | had several excellent examples last year. |, The comparatively mild Winter to | date has not been productive of much choice, but it has furnished one fine sample of the sort of rain #o choose, if one has the opportunity, for the pur- poses we have in view. This rain was the one which began | on’the last night of the year and came down very nicely all during the morning | of New Year day. | " The great advantage of this type Is | that it permits the householder to make |up his mind about the matter early, | either the night before or when he | awakens the next morning. | CarETE “Yes” he yawns to himself, “it is still raining.” Then he comes to his momentous conclusion, not that he must get up, whether he wants to or not, but that e will honestly take the day off to do nothing but see the rain come down. This means that breakfast and 50 on will be strictly secondary for the day to the duty of watching the rainfail from every angle. Only the person who has made work his god will believe that there is only one angle in a rain—the angle at which it meets the earth. There are as many angles as there are points of contact in the mind of | the onlooker. Pk The very sound of the falling water, its slap, slap, slap on broad-leaved ever- greens is a point of interest, even be- fore the reluctant light reveals the rain in earnest. And that gradual dawn, so slow, al- most painful in its approach to day- light, is a spectacular sight to the per- son who wants to get his money's worth | from this chosen day. It does not | dawn, this morning light, but struggles into existence, as if it were an inter- loper in a dark and gleomy world. Pe haps many people, watching such a | morning, would not see a thing spectac- ular about it. But that would be be- | cause they were hurrying to get dressed | or too engrossed in the matter of bacon | and eggs, or obsessed with what the | broad day held in store for them later. |~ Such unfortunates would not see any- | thing igleresting even in the display of rain after full daylight had come. Prob- | ably they would be late and worrying |about catching some particular public | vehicle, or wondering where they had | left their umbrella, or why rains had [to come at all, not remembering that' this was the first morning rain in months and months. * x * clear before 11,” such |is the old saying. It applies, however, ' Tains which begin shortly before that magic hour, not to those which | 1ad their origin in the night some time. ' | “Rain before 7. | sky and an intensity of rainfall which will enable’ the meteorological ateur to tell whether the downpour will con- tinue past noon. If he takes the day off for the ex- press purpose of observations, he will | be best pleased if the rain continues hour after hour. Then he can watch the progress of the water into the earth, its coloring of tree trunks and shrubs, its effect on | sidewalks and streets, what it does-to stucco and wood and brick and stone. A great deal of hcnest satisfaction will come from the contemplation of | past leaks which have been fixed and now leak no more. Walt Whitman ! |leaned and loafed at his ease watching | a spear of Summer grass; our spectator does the same with raindrops. BY FREDERIC While members of Congress were| pondering President Hoover's surprise message on the gravity of the economic situation more than one man could | be heard saying: “If a President with | the flair for dramatics that Theodore | Roosevelt had was the author of that| be up on their hind legs shouting for | it.” What the commentator in question meant was that Mr. Hoover lamentably the power to thrill. Here is & constructive program as practical, as comprehensive and as helpful as statesmanship could well conceiv under present circumstances, vet fo some unaccountable reason it doesn't set men to throwing up their hats or | in any sense arouse their emotional | enthusiasms. Showmanship has never been a part of Herbert Hoover's idea of statesmanship. He has no sense of the dramatic. He considers that any energy devoted to m given proposition outside of presenting its intrinsic merits in matter-of-fact form is just| 50 much energy wasted. Some of the political old hands of the,G. O. P.| ought to make the President under- stand that the American people like a touch of slap-dash and red fire with their politics, but they'd have their work cut out to make a man of his modest, studious temperament resort to it. He simply isn't built that way. Xk Republican leaders in Washington | admit it's going to be difficult to laugh | off the result of yesterday's New Hamp- | shire special House election. IUs an open secret that they counted eagerly on holding the Manchester seat and were ready to acclaim its retention as an indication that the tde is turning that 1932 henceforward need not be | viewed through hopeless spectacles. | Now that the fourth normally dry Re- publican district in succession has been captured by a wet Democrat since Oc- tober, even the hardest-bolled G. O. P. partisan is forced to concede (that things don't look so good. The gloom pervading the administration camp is equaled only by the depression preva- lent In Anti-Saloon League quarters. Gov. Bartlett, defeated Republican can- didate in the New Hampshire contest, is & lucky lame duck. He still has a | Government job—his membership on | the International Joint Commission, | the body that keeps the peace betweer Canada and the United States. x X X x Coincident with Dr. Mary Emma Woolley's presence at the Geneva Dis- armament Conference as & full-blown American delegate the women of the world will stage & monster peace demon- stration. Women of the United States will be prominent in it. The Women's International League for Peace and Preedom, whose United States section staged last Fall's transcontinental “peace caravan” to Washington, will be represented by the chairman of the American national board, Mrs. Harriet Clothier Hull of Swarthmore, Pa.; Miss Amy Woods of Boston, Mass., vice chair- man; Miss Katherine Blake of New York City and Mrs. Meta Berger, widow of the late Representative Victor L. Berger of Milwaukee. Mrs. Carrie Chupman Catt's group, the Conference on the Cause and Cure of War, and the International Young Women's Chuistian | Association will 8lso be at Geneva to raise womankind's voice on behalf of disarmament. Mrs. Laura Puffer Mor- behalf of the National Council for Pre- vention of War. Miss Alice Paul, chair man of the National Women's Party Committee on International Action, who Tecently made a_successful fight before the League of Nations for equal rights for women, expects to be in Geneva during the conference period. ook A Senator Tasker L. Oddie, Republican of Nevads, who iS leaving the Navai recovering from his recent horscbac acoident in_ Rock Creek = pape hek cheered on during his convalescenice by a story that reached him from the sage. brush back home. An old cow-puncher, bow-legged from & life in the saddle. was discussing the news of the Senators “I trie¢ that plan,” rejoined the will- tary or naval problems to discuss at!been estimated that the highway trans-ling worker. “I got to crowding mysell Ge! any, or anything to contribute to portation system and equipment, includ- till T had to put in nig) t scheme for furthef reduc- ing motor vehicles and roads, comprise what I had done badly doing over iy before.” mishap with the gang in a country “I should think a man with a“‘g?n;k;:;; like that.” ejaculated th® plainsman, “and wages low like they are now would hire all his riding done for him!* WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS gan of Washington will be present on | Hospital at Washington this week after | WILLIAM WILE. When President Hoover the other day received the members of the American | Newsboys' National Association on their second annual pilgrimage to Washing- ton he listened attentively to a neat little patriotic address by a freckled- | faced youngster who hatled from a town paper, Congress and the country would in Virginia not far from Washington, | Christmas illumination. Mr. Hoover sald to the lad when the peech had been delivered: “Harry, I'd | | The boy squinted at his wrist watch, | figured quickly about how much time | was left to deliver afternoon papers on his route, and replied: “Sorry, Mr. President, but I have duties to per- form.” * kK x | and Dr. Clyde Heck Marvin, president of g George Washington University, is an expert photographer in his non-aca- | demic incarnation. An amazing exploit in deep-sea photography stands to Dr.| Marvin's credit as the result of a 1931 Summer vacation trip to the Tortugas Islands, which lie at the tail end of the Florida Keys, some 75 miles south and west of Key West. There, as the guest of the Carnegie Institution's sci- | entific laboratory on one of its boats, Marvin conceived the idea one day of | putting on a diving helmet and de- scending to the bed of the ocean with a camera specially equipped for taking submarine motion pictures, After stay- ing down about an hour and a half he came up with a marvelous lot of snapshots of undersea verdure, includ- ing coral reefs and hedges and a host of other horticultural luxuriance that flourishes in Davy Jones' locker. They are said to be the only collection of colored motion pictures ever success- fully made at the bottom of the sea. Washington politicians are reading | with interest_correspondence appearing in the New York papers suggesting the availability of Dr. Nicholas Murray But- ler as a candidate for President of the United States on both the Republican and Democratic tickets. The sugges- | tions seem to spring from the bestowal | of the Nobel Peace Prize on the veteran | head of Columbia University. One of | Dr. Butler's admirers refers to him as | “a Monroe,” harking back to the fact that when Monroe was elected for his second term he received every electoral vote except one. et us have another \'era of good feeling, " he says, “by put- ting Dr. Butler in the White House at |the head of a coalition government.” | A facetious opponent of the Butler movement writes that he would never e for any man who pronounces the in the word “often’—a slam at Dr. Butler's pronunciation in & recent radio talk. ERE Probably the Japanese-American in- cident over the attack on our consul in Mukden will be promptly and satisfac- | torily closed, but it's little pin pricks of this sort that leave indelible stings be- hind, especially in Japan. If the Tokio government is called upon to make lny-1 thing that savors to the Japanese mind | as a cringing apology to Uncle S8am, our stock in Nippon will sink to an even lower point than it reached during the period of American protests against the c.nquest of Manchuria, earlier in the Winter. Undoubtedly the most unper- turbed Japanese in ail the world is Kat- suji_Debuchi, the Mikado's Ambassador at Washington. The present unpleas- antness in China coincides with the opening of the palatial new Japanese embassy on Massachusetts avenue. There the suave and smiling envoy from | Tokio entertains the American high and mighty with a carefree bonhomie that is the marvel of all who come | within its orbit. (Copyright, 1932 .+ Tax Economy Leagues. From the Omaha World-Herald Taxpayers are forming economy leagues, . Difficulty is to persuade pub- lic officfals to join them. s i | | Finance Before Peace. From the Bioux Falls Daily Argus-Leader. It was not surprising to hear that | Japan had abandoned the gold stand- ard. It would be surprising, however, I'to hear that she has sbandoned war- fare. -~ JANUARY 6, 1932. 'Envoy Explains Status of Ex-Minister From Prague ‘To the Editor of The Star: In your issue of January 3 you pub- lished & news item which, under the title “Pergler Praises Philippine Hero,” contains & repetition of Mr. Pergler's utterances on Czechoslovakia which have slready appeared in your paper several times. Considering the fact that Mr, Pergler tries to strengthen the au- thority of his utterances by pointing out that he was a Czechoslovak Minister in Tokio, I feel compelled, very much to my repugnance and solely in the inter- est of a correct public sppraisal of his assertions, to state that Mr, Pergler was in the year 1922 relieved of his diplo- matic functions on the unanimous ad-; vice of the competent ministerial com- mission on account of reasons well known to him. In performing this un- pleasant duty of correcting once for all the misleading utterances and actions hardly compatible. with the dignity of & former public servant, who, in spite of the fact that he still claims to be a Ozechoslovak citizen and even & Czecho- slovak representative, does not hesitate to spread in all his journalistic and lec- turing activities vindictive defamations regarding the country of his birth and | its leaders, I should like to state the following: There {s no preventive censorship in Czechoslovakia, though, of course, there are similar repressive press regulations which in the interest of morals and public order exist in practically all the mo,;{»m and advanced countries. the liberty of assembly, legal law pro- ceedings, legislation against defamatory actions and the electoral system are so exaggerated and absurd that they hard- Iy need any correction on my part in view of the fact that Czechoslovakia is known as one of the most progressive countries, with a solid nga‘J tradition a constitution modeled on the fundamental democratic principles of the fathers of the American Constitu- tion and with one of the most modern and meticulous proportional systems. FERDINAND VEVERKA, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary. r——— Downtown Parking Ban Urged to Clear Streets To the Editor of The Star: The automobile parking nuisance in Washington has become so acute that the beauty of the city is being marred and the trade of local stores, restau- rants and theaters is being restricted These long lines of automobiles parked day and night constitute a bad fire hazard, as they would interfere with the department's efforts in reaching a fire The Street Cleaning Department also cannot function under standing cars. People here are using the streets for free garage space. nance against such all-night and all- day parking should be enforced I saw one car on E street northwest near the Capitol covered with a tar- paulln—evidently gone into retirement for the Winter. This is within 100 feet ot police headquarters, No. 1. The Dis- trict or private owners should erect |4 four-story ramp garages in separate sections, "each one holding about 500 cars. ‘There are 120,000 cars registered in the District and possibly 20,000 transients from outside. What a huge problem Washington in this confronts each accommodating 500 cars, be required to keep all cars off the streets. A start without delay should be made in the business section from the Capitol | to the Treasury extending for five blocks north of Pennsylvania avenue.| I am aware of the Government’s under- taking on Capitol Hill with its under- ground storage. it wil bring no relief to the busy down- town area. JOHN B. CREIGHTON. .o “Let Your Light Shine” Urged as Yule Motto ‘To the Editor of The Star: In & time.of so-called depression, never has Washington been so gay with It is hoped that no one missed the fairyland pic- ture that Wesley Helghts produced. It lacks | like you to stay here for lunch today.” | seemed that each home tried to outdo the other in its variegated colored bril- liancy of lights to help cheer up Wash- ington. Also Fourteenth and Seventh streets cannot be overlooked. Secretary of State Stimson selected the tallest cedar on his beautiful lawn to dress it completely with white lights, which was a picture no one could for- et. “Let Your Light §hine” would be a good motto to encourage all next Christ- mas to put a light of some kind in the window, even if only & coal-oil lamp. What & picture of cheer and warmth it would give, and many lonely, discour- aged hearts would beat faster with the real spirit of Christmas. Let's give it thought. BESSIE POWELL DUNLOP. Would Name Woodyard After Dr. E. E. Dudding To the Editor of The Star: I read a news item in The Star of December 31, 1931, with a heading: “Woodyard Helps Salvationists Pick Workers.” Why not call “The Dudding Wood- yard"? If you will lock back on the editorial page of The Star of November 12, 1930, you will read a transcript of u letter from Dr. E. E.-Dudding, in which he suggests a municipal farm for jobless. The woodyard idea came from this suggestion and is in line with his idea. My idea is that a man’s plans should not be used unless he is given credit. DOROTHY M. BROWN. iy s King Signs Statute Breaking Up Empire Prom the St. Joseph Gazette. The perfunctory signature of King already | George to a simple statute, passed by both houses of Parliament, signifies the breaking up of an empire that once covered nearly one-fourth of the land area of the globe and the creation of a group of independent commonvwealths. Practical independ- . ence has been conferred on the former . British dominions, and Canada, South Africa, the Irish Free State, Australia and New Zealand are as free from leg- | islative rule at Westminster as were | our forefathers after their victory at | Yorktown. Of the ange famous red line that carried the Unlon Jack around the world there are only a few scattered outposts left—British Guiana, British Honduras, the ~ Falkland Islands, Jamaica. Trinidad, Barbadoes, the Ber- mudas, & few trading ports and coal- ing stations in Asia like Hongkong and Singapore, and & few minor islands in the Mediterranean. For the present India remains in status quo. Wwith a promise that liberal rule will follow demonstration of its people’s ability to govern themselves, The momentous step just consum- mated may dim the glory of the Brit- ish Empire that was, but the finer title of the British commonwealth of Nations marks probably & stronger association of independent countries than has hitherto been allied. ~There is still a strong sentiment which tes the commonwealths to the mother country—no better tebt of this allegi- ance being possible than during the ‘World War. The fact that independ- ence has been achieved by peaceful agreement lays the basis for an under- standing that will not weaken as if it were enforced by military displays. Imperialism has become democratic. r————————— Spats and Safety. From the Sioux City Journal. Sore one has urged Evanston, IIl, pedestrians to wear white spats so motorists can see them at night. But that looks dangerous at this distance. Some motorists might then wish to run right over thes: and end their misery. Pergler's assertions in regard to! The District ordi- | respect may be | jjudged from the fact that 280 garages, This will be filled, but | | harmful, ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS BY FREDERI ‘Thousands of Government experts) are working constantly for the benefit | of all citizens of the United States. | They will work directly for you if you will call for the fruits of their labors through cur Washington bureau. State your inquiry briefly, write clearly, and, inclosing 2-cent siamp for a personal letter in reply, address The Evening Star Information Bureau, Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washington, D. C. Q. Who originated the card display used by the Ndval Academy at foot ball games?—W. C. A. The card displays were introduced at the Naval Academy during the 1930 foot ball season by Midshipman N. C. Copeland, a member of the 1931 class. However, it was not Copeland’s origi- nal idea. He received his information regarding these stunts from Stanford University, at Palo Alto, Calif. Q. What are the qualifications for membership in the organization known as IKeniucky Colonels?—sS. W. A. Any person who has ever been commissioned a colonel on the staff of any Governor of Kentucky is eligible to membership. All living Governors of Kentucky are eligible to honorary membership. % Q. When was the Great Seal United States adopted?—J. A. A. It was adopted June 20, 1782. Q. Please cite some passage in lit- erature in praise of water—J. S. G. A. “Pure water is the best gift that | man to man can bring."—Anonymous “*Tis a little thing to give a cup of water; yet #ts draught of cool refresh- ment, drain'd by feverish lips, may give a thrill of pleasure to the frame more exquisite than when nectarian juice renews the life of joy in happlest hours.”—Thomas Noon Talfourd, “Son- net IIL Q. Why is it not practicable to run automcbiles with natural gas’—G. F. A. The Bureau of Standards say that automobiles could be run success- | fully on natural gas, but the gas would have to be compressed into steel cyl- inders, which would add considerable | weight. The amount of natural gas equivalent to five gallons of gasoline would Tequire enormous containers if | it were not compressed. | of the E. Q. Please name some Well known men whose wives were older than they were.—QG. L. A. Josephine was older than Napo- lean; Catherine of Aragon was older than Henry VIII; Mary Stuart was older than Francis II of France; Jenny Lind was older than Otto Goldschmidt; Disraell’s wife was his elder. Q. Has Prance a day upon which the graves cf the World War dead are decorated?~-M. C. A. The Prench decorate their graves on Armistice day, November 11. or not the “Mona Lisa” has eyebrows. Can_you give definite information?— A. Da Vinei's “Mona Lisa” has no eyebrows. During the early Renais- sance some ladies followed the custom of having their eyebrows plucked or cut. There are many instances in the sculp- ture and painting of the period. It is not known whether Mona Lisa had eyebrows in real life, but the picture shows none. Q. Who was the first man to fly over the Alps?>—B. C. B. | A. George Chavaz made the first suc- | cessful flight, in 1910. He followed the Simplon Pass and made a flight which remains a high light in aviation, but lest his life through a mishap in land- ing his plane. Q. What did the Capitol of the! | C J. HASKIN. ; United States cost and at what value is it now assessed?—E. K. A. The cast of the Capitol, including the grading of the grounds, alterations |and repairs, up to 1827, was $2,433- 844.13. In 1927 the assessed value of the Capitol building and grounds was given as $37,500,000. Q. What per cent of the retail price of a manufactured product can be charged to overhead?—A. F. A One authority says that & & usually from 10 to 15 per cent, oftén more.” Through efficient managemen? and mass production, in some commod: ties, the overhead has been reduced v less than 3 per How many people should » church auditorfum of a certain si7e seat’—K. D. A A. The minimum spacing for pewa back to back is 30 inches—32 or evel. 33 inches to be preferred. A space o’ 18 inches in the length of the pew i considered a sitting. The actual seating capacity can be determined only by drawing the seats to an accurate scale on the floor plan and then measuring the linear feet of the pews. For ap- proximate values 6 or 7 square feet may be allowed for each seat. Q Who was Jack the Ripper?— F. A. W. A. He was believed to be the author of & number of murders which took place in London in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Notwithstand- ing special work by Scotland Yard and private detectives, the murderer was never captured. Q. What was the known extent of the world four or five hundred years 3807—M. J. A. In 1400 the then known world extended from the British Isles to the little-frequented Far East, north to the Scandinavian Peninsula and south to the north coast of Africa. Q. How long have honeydew melons been on the market?—D. R. A. Honeydew melons were intro- duced into Colorado from France in | 1913 and the culture has spread to every melon-growing State in the Union. These melons prefer an arid or semi- arid region. Q. When was the play “The Gorilla” in Washington?—I. R. A. “The Gorilla” appeared at the Belasco Theater the week of February 1, 1926. Q. What was the larg money ever coined?—J. H. A. The largest metai con is a Swed- est plece of D. | ish 10-daler of solid copper, produced in 1685. It is 25 inches long, 12! inches wide and half an inch thick and weighs about 45 pounds. Q. Can anything be done to lamp wicks‘;Jo make them burn more brightly? —P. W. A. It the lower end of the wick which hangs in the oil is frayed for about an inch upward, separating_the strands, the lamp will burn fhore brightly. Q. There is a tradition or legend that the late George M. Pullman once moved a whole row of houses across the Allegheny River. I would like to know the date of the Pullman feat, the loca- tion, number and type of buildings, and how well the undertaking succeedech— A. O. H. G A. Mr. James Keeley, vice president of the Pullman Co. says: “I cannot throw any light on the apocryphal yarn that George M. Pullman moved a row of houses across the Allegheny River. No one in this office at the present ;ime has ever heard of that tour de orce.” World Court P ostponement § Viewed From Many Anglés PRostponement of action on the en- trance of the United States into the World Court has aroused some protests, on the ground that conditions made by the Senate have been met by the tri- bunal. A possibility is seen, however, that the measure will come before the present session of Congress notwith- | standing the action of the Foreign Re- lations Committee. On the other hand, some comments approve the delay on the ground that the reopening of the question at this time would lead to time-consuming debate in Congress, and others feel that it is desirable to make no final decision so long as disturbed conditions abroad complicate the situa- tion. Opponents of American ad- herence to the Court point to the de- cision on the German-Austrian customs union to support their views. “There will probably be a difference of opinion, even among those who sup- port American adhesion to the Court.” according fo the New York Herald Trib- une, “as to whether the atmosphere of economic strain and political uncer- tainty make this the best moment at which to decide a question of perma- nent American policy.” Advising that “to press too earnestly for a final vote at this time might mean the death and burial of the whole idea” the Herald Tribune concludes: “We favor adhesion to the court, and even should it prove impossible to securc ratifica- | tion at this session we believe the ques- tion should be kept on those planes of | common sense and proportion where it can be considered again when the Na- tion can see its true policy more clearly.” “The Foreign Relations Committee's refusal to give precedence to the World Court issue makes a vote in this session seem improbable,” thinks the South Bend Tribune, with the suggostion that “if the delay up to this time has been it is not apparent to most Americans.” * X K K Declaring that “the Court has not proved itself to be anything beyond a political set-up, whereby the powerful nations of Europe may more easily force | the weaker ones into submission without the expense of a war,” the Columbus Ohio State Journal offers the judgment: | “Tt is almost certain that some time be- | fore the present session of Congress ends | the Senate will be asked to vote ad- | herence of the United States. It is to be hoped that the nationalistic spirit which thus far has kept it from promis- | ing this Nation’s participation will again still believe that the Anschluss, or |union of Germany and Austria, is & | desirable thing, yet he must concede, in the face of Mr. Davis' array of facts, ‘lhlt the majority of the World Court ‘]uafi! acted with reason in rendering | thelr decision. It may be that the treaties governing the situation should be rewritten in the interest of fairness | to all, but, as Mr. Davis points out, ‘these are matters for statesmen, not for courts’ The important thing for the present is that the stigma of political bias be removed from the decision of the World Court.” “‘America really wishes to go into the Court,” avers the Sioux City Journal, while the Charleston (S. C.) Evening Post holds that “it is quite ridiculous that we should refuse to associate our- selves with it”" and the Lynchburg | News lauds those who have “the cour=- 2ge to vote according to their comvic tions on this question, the courage and the aggressiveness to vote for those who Will put the United States in the World Court.” ; The Houston Chronicle, in view of “pressing problems,” feels that it is incredible that the isolationist Senators are strong enough to prevent ncll’?‘r}: on the Court.” ““The mere existence of the World Court.” argues the Springfleld (Mass.) Republican, “facilitated the settlement of the customs union controversy with- out & military mobilization. A law sult may reach a wrong settlement; the court may be prejudiced or even venal, but courts stlll "remain essential to civilized society. Mr. Davis does not concede, however, that in the Austro- German customs union case the World Court decision was determined by the political or nationialistic sympathies of the judges. From that viewpoint, he maintains that the World Court func- S?:te?has a;:cc;:srully as any court and e attacks u e A pon it have been un- ] Mastery of Foreign Languages Needed From the Atlanta Journal. Since the magicians who were to pro- duce an acceptable universal language are moving so much slower than the ones determined to draw nations to- gether through the alr, it is becoming generally admitted th: el Tanguages must ke the im0 the present, of Esperanto. A Tew days ago Secretary Stimson engaged in 8 telephone conversation with, o Ghika, Rumanian foreign minii They talked in English. That can be used by lazy persons to prove that Enge lish is the only language we need, or it can be advanced as evidence that Secs rrlar\l‘lsumson had not given as much attention to mastering fore as had Prince Ghlki.i SET e prevail. The business of swinging popular favor of the country for it con- tinues, but it is almost bound to fail, | especially if the Werld Court gives out any move decisions as palpably unjust as the one against the German-Aus- trian customs union.” “Even the most neutral minds, as well | as many favorably disposed toward the | Court, and some strong advocates of it,| The forces that are compelling a new both in this country and Europe,” re- |regerd for international understanding calls the Lexington Leader, “have as-|are the radio, the airplane and the in- sailed the Court's decisiod disapproving | creasing importance of foreign trade. the customs union, and have expressed Even the thoughtful wife who wants regret over it, because they believe only to talk in English, to her husband political considerations influenced the in Paris, must either converse with action taken.” | French operators or depend on some one Observing efforts to swing popular €ise to do it for her. Georgraphical favor toward the Court, the Fort Wayne isolation cannot any longer protect News-Sentinel remarks: “We sincerely | Americans from the perplexing contact trust that effort may fail—especially if With unfamiliar speech. For the pres- the so-called Court hands down any |ent, the problem js mainly personal, more decisions as palpably unjust and |Every one must decide for himgrt as crudely political as the one against Whether he will study French and the Austrian-German Anschluss Spanish, or Italian and German, er & Ak b whether he will stand pat on what he Pointing out that in a defense of |considers to be English. But when this the court John W. Davis emphasized | Proble;n becomes pressing enough for the fact that the customs union de-|enough incividuals who have to consider cision was based on a specific question, | their careers and the relationships it the Louisville Courier-Journal sults‘may bring it will swing decisions for that the question was: “Would a regim y others less jmmediately eon- established between Austria and Ger-|cerned with foreign contacts. many on the basis and within the| The schools and colleges are limits of the principles laid down by the | their part by offering courses in many protocol of March 19, 1931, be com- |languages heretofore given little attens patible with Article 88 of the Treaty tion, and other means are being pro- of Baint-Germaln and with Protoco; vided for the instruction of those whe No. 1 signed at Geneva on October 4, have passed the collegiate period with- }'9227 Ti@Courier-Journal concludes: |out making full use of their linguistie ‘Though impartial observer may | opportunities.